


Promotions and Lockdowns

by samsg1



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode: s08e03 Lockdown, F/M, One Shot, Season/Series 08
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-23 13:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23345263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samsg1/pseuds/samsg1
Summary: Story based on what may have happened off-screen at the end of 'Lockdown', Season 8, exploring Sam and Jack's transition to their new roles as Colonel and General.Squint for Sam/Jack, a bit of Pete-bashing, a little fluff with a dash of angst for good measure.
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52





	Promotions and Lockdowns

**Author's Note:**

> While my country isn't in lockdown (yet), others being so inspired me to rewatch Season 8's Lockdown and this story just came to me and wouldn't let go until I wrote it down.
> 
> This is my second ever fic, and beta-d by the lovely tinknevertalks who introduced me to fanfic at the tender age of ten years old *waves* 
> 
> I hope this fic finds you well in these troubled times xxx

Carter walked along the corridor towards the office on upper Level 28. It hadn’t yet been three weeks since the Colonel- no, the General- had taken Hammond’s old office, and once again it seemed such a strange sight to see him seated in the big chair engrossed in a conversation with someone no doubt important on the red phone. He looked uncharacteristically small in it, not helped by his comparably slim frame to the previous commander, nor by being partially hidden behind a tall stack of untouched files. He looked up mid-sentence and their eyes met, and she tried to ignore the lurch her heart gave at the contact. As he continued to talk into the receiver, he gave her a big smile and waved her in. She had to admit to herself that she’d missed him. She hadn’t seen him for two weeks aside from their brief encounter at the bottom of the gate ramp after Anubis had left his body. After which she’d been wrapped up in checking the base computers for signs of tampering for the past half a day.  


While she hadn’t been able to focus on much in particular during the past two weeks, Daniel had, to her displeasure, spent most of the time complaining about having not been allowed to join the Atlantis expedition and musing about what wonders he was missing out on. Then he’d spent the rest of his time buried in some translation work on some stone tablets that SG-18 had brought back from some old civilization a few days before Anubis had decided to “hitch a ride on a cosmonaut”, as the General had amusingly put it. She gave a chuckle as she remembered the phrase.  


She’d been grateful that she’d had Daniel’s company with her in Zone 3 during the lockdown or she’d have gone crazy with the isolation and constant anxiety that Anubis would make his move. But there was something about General O’Neill’s presence that comforted her, and she’d certainly missed his jokes and witty comments.  


He just had this way of putting things so succinctly in an amusing way. Truth being, if she was honest with herself she’d missed him for longer than the lockdown. They hadn’t really spent much time together since Janet had died, and soon after that he’d ended up frozen in Antarctica for a good few weeks, and then of course she’d finally decided to get a life- oh which reminded her, she’d probably have to let Pete know the lockdown was over. She’d finally turned off her cell after the first week of his pining messages of missing her and constantly pressing her about when she’d be able to get off base. She’d have to deal with that sooner or later, she thought with a sigh.  


The General met her eyes again and she realised he’d ended the phone call, and stepped into his office as he put down the receiver.

“The President,” he stated, to which Sam gave an acknowledging nod. 

He sat back in his chair and took in Carter’s presence. Had her hair grown the past two weeks he hadn’t seen her? He’d missed her. He was glad this whole mess was over if only to get to be in the same room as her again. He smiled at her, which she returned, and drank in her sight for a couple more seconds before re-engaging base commander mode.

“Get cleared by Brightman?” he inquired.

“Yes, Sir. Anubis didn’t possess me long enough to leave any damage.”

“Good. I’m sorry I had to zat you,” he stated, trying to quash flashbacks of four years prior when that damn computer virus had made him do the same.

 _“Anubis has got Sam.”_ When he’d heard Daniel’s words echo through the radio his heart had stopped as his mind conjured what might have to be done to stop Anubis from escaping. He was glad he’d only had to zat her once this time.

“Sir?” she queried, interrupting his thoughts.

“You were beating the crap out of some airmen, or rather, Anubis was. I had to zat you.”

He saw Sam’s eyes widen. “I have no recollection of that. Are they okay?”

“Yes they’re fine,” he said dismissively. Then shifting in his chair trying to look more intimidating, “However, speaking of beating the crap out of some airmen, one of these reports-“ he waved his hands lazily over his desk “-states that there’s a lieutenant with a broken nose in the infirmary. Says he was escorting you to the hold on my orders, which I’m guessing was when Anubis had me since I don’t remember giving those orders, and that you shoved your elbow in his face and took off...”

Sam’s face blanched. Holy Hannah, she’d forgotten about that. In the disorientation of regaining her sense of self after Anubis had left her, the mayhem of the base self-destruct nearly going off, Anubis trying to make his getaway, and in having to scour the base for any sabotage for the past ten hours, she’d totally forgotten about her breakaway from the officers when the base alarm had gone off.

“Sir, I can explain-” Sam began, shoulders tensed up, suddenly feeling awkward standing in the General’s office like a naughty kid sent to see the principal.

“Carter, Carter, relax, you’re not in any trouble.” O’Neill grinned. He had enjoyed seeing her squirm. Yep, he’d missed her.

“I’m not?” she enquired, looking a little more at ease.

“Teal’c already filled me in. Says you managed to convince him you weren’t Anubis anymore and shut off the self-destruct just in the nick of time.”

“Yes, Sir.” She confirmed.

“And that the gate started auto-dialling and Teal’c says you barely had ten seconds to change the address to Planet Popsicle.”

“KS7-535, yes, Sir.”

He simply stared at her. He’d known her for over 7 years now and she never ceased to amaze him with her quick-thinking and ingenuity.

“Not to mention the whole idea of splitting the SGC into three sections to flush him out was your idea too, Carter. You didn’t just save the base, you single-handedly rid the entire galaxy of Anubis.” He beamed proudly at her, and she awkwardly blushed, looking down.

“I wouldn’t call it single-handedly,” she deflected. “Colonel Vaselov’s sacrifice saved you too, Sir. Let’s not forget his heroism,” her eyes returned to his.

Her humbleness never ceased to amaze him either.

“Of course not,” he replied sincerely. “I was on the phone with Moscow earlier giving Vaselov the highest praise. He saved my life.”

Sam nodded, looking down.

“By the way did you find any signs of tampering in your sweep?” O’Neill asked, changing the subject.

“No, Sir. I was just typing up a report when you called me here-“

“Ack! No more reports!” he blurted, waving his hand towards the disorganized tower on his desk, knocking over the top layer of files, furthering his point. “As you can see I have two weeks’ worth to get through here. Just- just send it whenever, I’ll take your word for it.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“And Carter, I just wanted to say, I know you’ve said you have some misgivings about leading SG-1, but I want you to know that you’ve just proven again for the umpteenth time that you have the quick-thinking, innovation and leadership skills needed for the position. You should know that I have full faith in you to lead the flagship team and be second-in-command of this base. You completely deserve your promotion, Colonel,” he emphasized. “And the President said so too on the phone.”

“Thank you,” she muttered embarrassedly. “He did?” she asked, eyebrows raised in surprise as his words sunk in.

“Yep.” He said smiling. Ah sweet, humble, Carter. “Actually he was wondering if you wanted to keep it a 3-person team, or if you were looking for a fourth member.”

“I think I’ll see how it goes, Sir.” Truth was he was right, she was a bit hesitant to lead SG-1 herself, but she had been lucky to have been able to observe and learn from the best of the best the past seven years. But she felt sad, too, at how things had changed so rapidly recently. She’d lost Janet and had become an adoptive mother to Cassie until she started college, at least. She’d had to leave the Colonel behind in Antarctica and go on with the work day as though she didn't have a gaping hole in her life, General Hammond had been replaced, and while she was more than grateful to have gotten the Colonel-now-General back, she felt like nothing could be the same again. There would be no more banter around the campfire off-world. No more Colonel antagonizing Jaffa with sarcastic comments when they got caught. No more sharing a tent and sneaking a secret glance at his sleeping face in the firelight..

“Okay, 3-man band it is, then.” The General confirmed, interrupting her melancholic thoughts. “After things get back to normal after the mess the lockdown caused SG-1’ll be back on rotation ready for your first mission sometime next week.”

“Looking forward, Sir,” she forced, but truthfully she was not looking forward to walking up the ramp with him remaining in the control room. What happened to ‘we don’t leave our people behind?’ she mused.

When he didn’t say anything she half-turned to leave, assuming she was dismissed, but then changed her mind and paused. She wanted to say something. Maybe something that would bolster her confidence in him. Or wait- was he perhaps feeling exactly the same as her? He, too, had gone through so many changes the past few weeks. He’d come back from near death, been promoted to General and was now the commander of the SGC, but he had lost command of SG-1. Would he be sad watching them leave through the gate without him next week? And how was he coping with being ‘The Man’, as he’d put it? He wasn’t exactly readable at the best of times. Was he secretly feeling self-doubt too?

“Sir,” she started, turning back round to face him, where he was still seated in his desk still looking rather small in the big chair. “I just wanted to say that I and everyone I’ve spoken to thinks you’re doing a fantastic job as General, General.”

“Oh?” he questioned, his expression seeming a little bemused.

“I know you don’t see yourself flying a desk, Sir, but you handled Anubis’ infiltration impeccably and we all have full faith in you as leader of the base, Sir.”

“Why thank you, Carter,” he replied. “Well, my knees have been giving me trouble for some time, and maybe it was time for a desk job, but of course I’m gonna miss going off world with you guys and shooting up bad guys.” Sam watched his face, and was surprised by his honesty. She watched as his expression turned into a grin, “I’m thinking of giving Teal’c a crash course in sarcasm, someone needs to fill my shoes on the team.”

“Good idea, Sir,” she said, unable to suppress a giggle.

“Hey, I’m pretty sure there’s a rule somewhere in the SGC book of rules-” he pretended to fish around in his desk drawers- “that SG-1 leaders are not allowed to giggle,” he stated with an amused look.

“Sorry Sir, I’ll do my best to uphold the title to the highest standard that you set. Speaking of which, aren’t you going to wear dress blues while sitting in this chair?” 

“Ugh, Carter you know how much I hate dressing up. I told Hammond I wouldn’t take the job unless I could wear BDUs. Much more comfy. Got these custom made,” he said, proudly pointing to the single embroidered star below his shoulder.

“This look suits you better, Sir,” she said, then blushed as she realised she’d probably said something slightly inappropriate. “I’d better get back to writing that report, Sir,” and she turned to leave with a nod of salute and “General”, to which Jack replied with an emphasized “Colonel” as she dismissed herself.

Their lives had changed a lot over the past couple of weeks, but Sam could all but cling to the hope that things between them wouldn’t change too much.

And with a wince of a recollection, she remembered the switched off cell in her own desk drawer and numbly returned to her lab.

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Not obligatory but I'd love to read your feedback!


End file.
